Messages - nealric

I need some advice on whether to take a bar prep program for the NY bar. I just passed the FL bar and I plan to take the NY bar in Feb, but I'm not sure if I should sign up for a bar review course or study on my own. I have the materials for the MBE and will be getting the NY study materials (including lecture notes) from a friend. I don't know if I'm missing out on anything important by not taking a course... but bar prep tuition is just so expensive. When I studied for the FL bar, I watched all the video lectures but found them to be a waste of time. All I really need is the study material which I'm getting for much less money. However, everyone I talk to says the NY bar is more difficult than the FL bar and that I should sign up for a prep course. Any advice?

What did you score on the MBE? That might change how much you need to master NY state-specific subjects to pass.

I passed the NY bar last July. The only really hard part is the volume of material. NY tests more subjects than most states do. You can probably pass with just the conviser mini review from Barbri and a book of practice MBE questions to brush up on.

I had plenty of instruction on writing motions in law school. The issue isn't knowing how to write the, it's knowing when they are appropriate and knowing what to put in them when you don't have a professor giving you an assignment.

But the point of my post was to give accurate information and to also get people thinking about contingency plans. Since many people probably won't get biglaw, they need to have a specific plan for what they will do if biglaw doesn't work out.

Coming from a rather poor family, Big Law is my goal. I will never struggle as my parents have to put food on the table. I am unafraid of work, so Big Law sounds wonderful to me. It will help me allow them to be more comfortable as they age.

Am I right in my reserach that any T14 will allow you the potential to be hired by a Big Law firm (such as Sidley Austin)? But the top firms tend to only hire from the top 5 or 6 schools (Cravath)?

Certain firms are more grade conscious than others. I can confirm that Cravath recruits at GULC, but anyone out of the top 10% should bother signing up for an interview. You should be aware that recruiting is not like it was in 2007. You won't be getting a biglaw job just because you went to GULC- you need to do well. That said, there is no telling how it will be two years from now.

I find it ironic that you called it "Cooley University low school." If your spelling and writing abilities are representative of the talent from Cooley, I'd have to say that the answer to this thread is a resounding "YES."